Ever done a coffee tasting?

Well, today I did. And I can say it is a whole lot different from a wine tasting… but also a great adventure! (although these days I am more of a tea lady…)

Together with 14 collegues we went to Trakteren (treat). Trakteren is set up by two passionate coffee drinkers, Erik Oosterhuis and Edward Beumer. What starts as a hobby has now grown into a very wellknown Amsterdam hotspot for coffee lovers. Erik and Edward serve different kind of coffees (from esspresso to cappuccino), herbal teas and homemade pies.

When we arrived they allready started preparing our coffees.

We began with ground coffee (snelfiltermaling). Two of them from Thailand, one from Kenia and one from Indonesia. No machines… our barista’s always use traditional coffee filters (check my video). Very nice to see the passionate boys making our coffees. One tip from these professionals was to prepare it with hot water, not more than 80 degrees (normally about 92 degrees).

Served in tiny little glasses we started tasting. There is a whole palate capable of differentiating between the flavours. Here you see their flavour wheel.

We all were very enthusiastic about flavour 1: a mild ground coffee, light color, “honey processed” from Indonesie.

After the ground coffee we tasted a few flavours espresso. Way to heavy for me, but hey.. I’m a teadrinker.

What sets Trakteren apart from other places in town is the personal experience that each customer is given. Whether you’re a coffee novice, amateur or expert, Erik and Edward will share their passion for great coffee with you, no matter what.

Well what can I say more… hurry up to Jan Pieter Heijestraat 119A in Amsterdam to try the coffees yourself!

(wonder what these are? Coffee currents… the beginning of a long process, from the coffeebelt round the equator to the kitchen at your home).